SEWARD, Neb. – For the third time in in four years, the Concordia University wrestling program has notched a top-10 placement on the list of National Wrestling Coaches Association All-Academic Teams. The 2016-17 Bulldogs check in at No. 6 with a team GPA of 3.22. Not only that, Concordia is the only program in the NAIA to boast five NWCA All-Academic individuals.
Representing the Bulldogs with individual academic honors are seniors Foster Bunce, Ken Burkhardt Jr. and Ceron Francisco, junior Kirk Kaliszewski and sophomore Alexander Reimers. The five individual academic award winners marks a program record. Bunce also garnered NAIA Scholar-Athlete recognition twice during his career.
It’s been an impressive first season for head coach Andrew Nicola, who earned conference and regional coach of the year awards. The 2016-17 Bulldogs won the GPAC dual title, captured the NAIA North tournament championship and then placed 15th at the national championships, which were headlined by Francisco’s national runner-up finish at the heavyweight position.
Concordia recent NWCA All-Academic finishes
2017 – 6th
2016 – 5th
2014 – 9th